Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerGiants cornerback Corey Webster's near-interception on this play was a rare highlight for a secondary that struggled and, according to safety Antrel Rolle, played with a poor "sense of urgency."

The truth is they had five defensive backs on the field who have been NFL starters. So while the secondary wasn’t at full-strength, the secondary was nonetheless capable of keeping Washington in check.

So what happened?

“I think a lot had to do with our sense of urgency,” safety Antrel Rolle said in the locker room on Monday. “At certain times in the game, I didn’t think we had a sense of urgency in getting things done or getting them off the field when we had an opportunity to.

“Just watching the film, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was, but it can definitely get a whole lot better. And next time we face them, I can pretty much guarantee the outcome will be different.”

It would seem impossible a team could play without a sense of urgency on opening day against a divisional rival on 9/11. But that’s actually what it looked like when the Giants’ defensive backs were late breaking to the ball. And Rolle would know, being as he was on the field.

“I really don’t know what led to it,” he said. “I felt like as a team, I don’t feel like we had the energy we should’ve had going out there in our first game, especially being a division opponent. I felt like at times we were very flat.

“At the end of the day we definitely have to find our way, have to find our identity. We’re playing the game of football. There has to be a certain kind of passion about it. There has to be a certain kind of enthusiasm, which this team has. We just have to make sure we get back to it.”

Maybe, as I noted in my game review, the Giants should get back to playing more man coverage. For whatever reason, they played a lot of zone after being a predominantly man-coverage team during Perry Fewell’s first season as defensive coordinator.

The results were less than spectacular, with Rolle giving too much of a cushion on a fourth-and-5, the linebackers struggling at times to provide coverage support underneath and rookie safety Tyler Sash late to break up on a ball thrown up the seam.

Give Grossman credit for making a bunch of tough throws, but don't let the Giants' defensive backs off the hook at all.

“I’m not sure about that,” Tom Coughlin said when asked if he saw a lack of urgency, as Rolle suspected. “I do know on the fourth-and-5, we were off a little more than what we would have coached it and we weren’t even able to get up there and keep it at 5 (yards).”

In other words, the scheme is fine — as taught — in Coughlin’s mind. Make the plays, be believes. If the urgency isn’t there, find it. Fast.

“We still had a great game plan,” safety Deon Grant said, not buying any excuses for the poor performance. “Injuries are going to happen, that is the NFL. Baltimore didn’t have the same guys that they had when they won it in 2001 and you see what they did to Pittsburgh. When you have a mentality on defense, that is the mentality.”

After saying it would be pretty tough for the team to hold him out again next week, DE Justin Tuck said in an interview with WFAN Monday he’s “50-50” to play against the Rams. Tuck also said DE Osi Umenyiora (knee) began running yesterday, though he seems like a long shot for Monday.

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TE Travis Beckum still believes he hasn’t suffered a hamstring strain, though he believes he would have if he had played against the Redskins.